Card edge connector having additional ground contact facilitating grounding of inserted memory module

ABSTRACT

A card edge connector includes an elongated housing defining a plurality of first and second terminal grooves at opposite sides thereof. A key is located between said first and second terminal grooves. A plurality of first and second terminals are respectively received in said first and second terminal grooves. The outmost of the first terminal together with the outmost of the second terminal are arranged as grounding terminals and form a diagonal configuration to contact with grounding pad defined on the memory module for eliminating EMI.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention Proprietorship

The present invention relates to a card edge connector, and moreparticularly to a card edge connector including a pair of additionalgrounding contacts for suppressing Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI)for inserted memory module.

2. Description of the Related Art

Card edge connector is usually mounted onto a printed circuit board forconnecting with a memory module so as to realize the signaltransmission. As transmission speed between the memory module and theprinted circuit board becomes faster and faster, EMI has to be properlyshielded so as to prevent any inadvertent and negative impact to thetransmission therebetween.

To overcome the aforementioned problem, a metallic shell is provided andto shield the card edge connector for eliminating EMI, however, themetallic shell increases the overall height of the card edge connectorand increases the additional production cost. Hence, a new design whichcan solve the problem is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cardedge connector which can effectively eliminate EMI with respect to aninserted memory module.

In order to achieve the object set forth, a card edge connector includesan elongated housing defining a plurality of first and second terminalgrooves at opposite sides thereof. A key is located between said firstand second terminal grooves. A plurality of first and second terminalsare respectively received in said first and second terminal grooves. Theoutmost of the first terminal together with the outmost of the secondterminal are designated as grounding terminals and form a diagonalconfiguration.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description of thepresent embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card edge connector in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge connector shownin FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the card edge connector shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the card edge connector shown inFIG. 1 along line 4-4; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the card edge connector shown inFIG. 1 along line 5-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe apreferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. Referring toFIG. 1, a card edge connector 100 according to the preferred embodimentof the present invention is made and comprises an insulative housing 1with a plurality of conductive terminals 3 received therein.

Referring to FIG. 2, the insulative housing 1 comprises an elongatedbase portion 11 and a pair of arms 5 disposed at opposite ends of thebase portion 11. A mating groove 13 is defined along a longitudinaldirection of the base portion 11 between the pair of arms 5 and openedforwardly for receiving a memory module therein. A pair of metallicretaining devices 6 are respectively attached onto the arms 5 forstrengthening the flexibility of the arms 5 and guiding the memorymodule to be inserted into the mating groove 13. A plurality ofreceiving passageways 14, 15 are respectively defined at opposite sidesof the mating groove 13 and are arranged at fixed pitch along alongitudinal direction. A key 16 is formed in the mating groove 13adjacent to one of the arms 5 thereby dividing the mating groove 13 intotwo separated parts.

Each arm 5 comprises a root portion 51 jointing with the base portion11, and two individual side arms 52, 53 separately formed and protrudingforward from the root portion 51. At the end of the upper side arm 52, alocking portion 522 and a guiding portion 521 are respectively formedand arranged adjacent to each other. The retaining device 6 is made froma metal sheet and comprises a first vertical wall 61, a second verticalwall 613 parallel with the first vertical wall 61, and a connectingsection 62 linking the first and second vertical walls. The first andsecond vertical walls 61, 613 are respectively located at inner side ofthe lower side wall 53 and outer side of the upper side wall 52 with theconnecting section 62 sandwiched therebetween. A solder portion 63extends from a bottom lateral edge of the first vertical wall 61. Abuckling piece 614 and a guiding piece 612 respectively extend from toplateral edge of the second vertical wall 613 and bend downward to attachto the locking portion 522 and guiding portion 521 of the arm 5. Whenthe memory module is inserted into the mating groove 13 and rotateddownwardly, lateral edges of the memory module will slid along theguiding piece 612 until being locked by the locking portion 522 of thearm 5.

The terminals 3 comprise upper terminals 31 and lower terminals 32,which are respectively received in the receiving passageways 14, 15.Referring to FIG. 4, the upper terminals 31 are inserted into the upperreceiving passageways 14 along a rear-to-front direction, and each upperterminal 31 comprises a vertical body portion 310, a retaining portion311 extending forward from side edge of the body portion 310, aresilient arm 313 extending from top end of the body portion 310 with acontacting portion 314 at distal end thereof, and a solder portion 312extending from bottom end of the body portion 310. The resilient arm 313projects forward and exposes into the mating groove 13 for contactingwith the memory module. Referring to FIG. 5, the lower terminals 32 areinserted into the lower receiving passageway 15 along a front-to-reardirection, and each lower terminal 32 comprises a body portion 321, aretaining portion 323 extending from lateral side of the body portion321, a solder portion 322 extending from opposite lateral side of thebody portion 321, and a resilient arm 325 extending upward and thenbackward from the body portion 321.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a grounding member 31 a which is configuredas the same structure of the upper terminals 31, is arranged at theoutmost of the left side of upper terminals 31, and a grounding member32 a which is configured as the same structure of the lower terminals32, is arranged at the outmost of the right side of the lower terminals32. The two grounding members 31 a, 32 a can be easily made according tothe mass production of the terminals 3. For eliminating EMI, the memorymodule defines a grounding pad at the right or left side on the top faceor at the right or left side on the lower face, therefore when thememory module is inserted into the mating groove 13, at least onegrounding member 31 a or 32 a will contact with the grounding pad. Asthe two grounding members 31 a, 32 a are arranged at diagonal of themating groove 13, no matter how the grounding pad is defined at any sideor face of the memory module, the grounding pad will be reliably incontact with the grounding member for eliminating EMI, which is helpfulto the signal transmission between the memory module and a printedcircuit board on which the card edge connector is mounted.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the present invention have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with details of thestructure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrativeonly, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape,size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention tothe full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms inwhich the appended claims are expressed.

1. A card edge connector for connecting a memory module to a printedcircuit board comprising: an elongated insulative housing defining amating groove in the housing along a longitudinal direction thereof, aplurality of first and second terminal grooves defined at opposite sidesof the mating groove; a plurality of first and second terminalsrespectively received in the first and second terminal grooves; thefirst terminals are inserted into the first terminal grooves from afront-to-rear direction, while the second terminals are inserted intothe second terminal grooves from a rear-to-front direction; and a pairof grounding members arranged at diagonal of the mating groove; a pairof metallic retaining devices are respectively attached onto the armsfor strengthening the flexibility of the arms and guiding the memorymodule to be inserted into the mating groove; each arm comprises a rootportion jointing with the base portion, and upper and lower side arms,separately formed and protruding forward from the root portion; alocking portion and a guiding portion are respectively formed andarranged adjacent to each other at the end of the upper side arm; theretaining device comprises a connecting section linking first and secondvertical walls; the first and second vertical walls are respectivelylocated at inner side of the lower side wall and outer side of the upperside wall with the connecting section sandwiched therebetween; a solderportion extends from a bottom lateral edge of the first vertical wall; abuckling piece and a guiding piece respectively extend from top lateraledge of the second vertical wall and bend downward to attach to thelocking portion and guiding portion of the arm.
 2. The card edgeconnector as described in claim 1, wherein the grounding members arerespectively received in the first and second terminal grooves.
 3. Thecard edge connector as described in claim 2, wherein the groundingmember in the first terminal groove is configured same as the firstterminals, and the grounding member in the second terminal groove isconfigured same as the second terminals.
 4. The card edge connector asdescribed in claim 1, wherein; a grounding member which is configured asthe same structure of the upper terminals, is arranged at the outmost ofthe left side of upper terminals.
 5. The card edge connector asdescribed in claim 4, wherein a pair of arms are disposed at oppositeends of the mating groove, the grounding members are adjacent to saidarms.
 6. A card edge connector comprising: an elongated housing defininga plurality of first and second terminal grooves at opposite sidesthereof, and a key located between said first and second terminalgrooves; and a plurality of contacts arranged in first and second rowsrespectively by two sides of the receiving slot along said lengthwisedirection under condition that the contacts in the first row aredifferent from the contacts in the second row both in shape and indimension; first and second deflectable latches located at two oppositeends of the housing in said lengthwise direction, each of said first andsecond deflectable latches being equipped with a metallic piece forreinforcement of strength thereof; a plurality of first and secondterminals respectively received in said first and second terminalgrooves; wherein the outmost of the first terminal together with theoutmost of the second terminal are arranged as grounding terminals andform a diagonal configuration; said first latch further includes aplastic piece supported by the metallic piece and formed with a lockingportion thereon for locking an edge card whose bottom edge is adapted tobe received in said receiving slot; a locking portion and a guidingportion are respectively formed and arranged adjacent to each other atthe end of an upper side latch; a solder portion extends from a bottomlateral edge of a first vertical wall; a buckling piece and a guidingpiece respectively extend from top lateral edge of a second verticalwall and bend downward to attach to the locking portion and guidingportion of the arm.
 7. The card edge connector as described in claim 6,wherein a pair of arms are disposed at opposite ends of the housing, andsaid grounding terminals are adjacent to the arms.
 8. A card edgeconnector comprising: an elongated insulaitve housing extending along alengthwise direction with a receiving slot extending along saidlengthwise direction; a plurality of contacts arranged in first andsecond rows respectively by two sides of the receiving slot along saidlengthwise direction under condition that the contacts in the first roware different from the contacts in the second row both in shape and indimension; first and second deflectable latches located at two oppositeends of the housing in said lengthwise direction, each of said first andsecond deflectable latches being equipped with a metallic piece forreinforcement of strength thereof; one outermost contact in the firstrow in said lengthwise direction being the closest one of all saidcontacts in both said first and second rows with regard to the firstlatch; and another outermost contact in the second row in said longwisedirection being the closest one of all said contacts in both said firstand second rows with regard to the second latch; wherein both saidoutermost contact and said another outermost contact are groundingcontacts corresponding to the metallic pieces of said first and secondlatches, respectively; said first latch further includes a plastic piecesupported by the metallic piece and formed with a locking portionthereon for locking an edge card whose bottom edge is adapted to bereceived in said receiving slot; a locking portion and a guiding portionare respectively formed and arranged adjacent to each other at the endof an upper side latch; a solder portion extends from a bottom lateraledge of a first vertical wall; a buckling piece and a guiding piecerespectively extend from top lateral edge of a second vertical wall andbend downward to attach to the locking portion and guiding portion ofthe upper side latch.
 9. The card edge connector as claimed in claim 8,wherein; a grounding member which is configured as the same structure ofthe upper terminals, is arranged at the outmost of the left side ofupper terminals.